CB500 choke lever

[toucheturtle]

May seem like a stupid question but could someone just confirm for me which position is choke on and choke off on the carburetor mounted choke lever.

Many thanks

Andy

[clive]

on mine the "on" position is when the lever is in the raised position, 'ope this 'elps

[dave400]

My 400 carbs are the same up position is choke on.

Cheers

Dave

[Dave M]

It's up and a bugger to find once you've started riding!

[florence]

...hard to find when riding.  I find that it only needs choke to start and then only for a few seconds more.  I then switch it off and move away.

[matthewmosse]

I find fitting a sidecar helps hold the bike up whilst you ride one handed too but choke normally is only needed to start up unless you ride in the snow......

[florence]

Riding in the snow is great fun.  However, I had a near miss in the snow a few years ago.  I was riding my CX500 in terrible snow late one night on a quiet country road.  After about four attempts at getting up a particularly steep hill (Shropshire) I fell off and the bike landed with the wheels uphill.  I couldn't get enough grip with my feet to pick the thing up so I paused for a roll-up and to think about what to do when I noticed headlights in the distance.  I had to run up the hill as fast as I could because I worried that the approaching motorist would not be able to stop and would skid into the bike with obvious disastrous results.  I managed to flag down the bemused driver.  He kindly helped me lift the bike onto it's wheels and together we scraped a track down the hill so I could get it bump-started again.

Some bikes are better than others in the snow.  My CX was terrible because it was just too heavy.  My CB500/4 is no better because you have to rev too much to get moving.  I think the best bike I've had for snow was my CB350K.  Lowish centre of gravity, not too heavy and torquey at the bottom end.

[matthewmosse]

For me, snow either means a 125, cos it's light enough to ride with your feet down, or a sidecar - you cann't drop it and can steer by shifting your weight- the cb500/4 is a brilliant candidate for  sidecar duties in snow and ice and actually preforms better than a fair few cars though hills can be problematical to get up. Having said that I've never missed work etc due to snow and oly ride bikes (no car licence) and live in the middle of Wales plus 20 miles fromm work.

[florence]

I am very glad to hear of another 500/4 in regular use whatever the weather.  Mine lives outside and is used all year round.  The weather is warmer down here though, certainly warmer than when I lived near Clun.